Jailbird
by FromSeaToShore
Summary: She had been born into slavery. Being a prisoner was pretty much all she knew. It made her heart like snow: beautiful but cold. But when fate leads her to a certain Ice Make mage, he slowly thaws out her heart and helps her learn things that she never knew about herself. But is that a good thing or a bad thing? Lyon/OC
1. One

**Hey, guys! This is my first Fairy Tail fanfic, bahaha. I recently got into this manga/anime and I'm like already caught up. I fell in love with it instantly! Haha, okay. Well, here's the first chapter! Hope you enjoy! Oh, and sorry for any OOC-ness.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. Boo. Besides, do I look anything like Mashima? I didn't think so.  
**

* * *

Jailbird

X787. It was the year that things would finally change. For her, at least._  
_

_Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub.  
_

Her heart rapidly pounded against her ribcage as she warily scanned her surroundings, watching out for any pursuers. She had been roaming throughout the town for about an hour, obviously looking out of place. She had rags for clothes, no shoes on her feet, and her dark, wavy hair that curled at the ends was in a tangled mess at the top of her head. But what made her stick out like a sore thumb was the burn mark on her ankle, shaped like a skull and crossbones. For crying out loud, her brand was there for everybody to see!

And she hadn't been caught. Yet.

Something definitely wasn't right. Surely, the troops that were after her wouldn't give up on her so easily. They were so close to capturing her earlier and they even followed her all the way to a merchant town in Fiore. They were probably brewing up an extravagant and humiliating way to capture her. Besides, it's been a while since the Slave Retrieval Squad of Bosco felt the thrill of chasing down a runner. They'd want to have some fun with it. Wouldn't they?

"There you are!"

_Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub. _

Those words caused her entire body to tense up. She couldn't bring herself to turn around. Instead, she clenched her teeth and balled her hands into fists. Caught. She had finally been caught. But she had made it so far. Why now? Why did she have to get caught once she had gotten so close to tasting freedom? "I've been looking everywhere for you! Your mother told you not to wander off!"

"But Daddy! I saw a cute, little puppy!"

Dark, blue eyes widened when she realized that the man who was yelling, wasn't yelling at her but at his daughter. The escaped slave loudly sighed in relief and ran a hand through her hair. Maybe she was free. After eighteen years of being the property of a rich and vile man, she was free. _Finally._

"Hey, look! She's over there! Get her!"

"You're not getting away this time, missy!"

"I doubt Master Cygnus will be lenient, especially because it's you!"

"Don't even think about running, Coralie!"

"Face it, you're screwed!"

_Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub._

Okay, maybe she wasn't free just yet.

* * *

X787. That meant that most of the Fairy Tail mages had been missing for three years. Three. Entire. Years.

It was a bright, sunny Wednesday, which meant that it was Lamia Scale's turn to join Fairy Tail and set sail to where Tenrou Island was supposed to be. And even if he never said it, the one and only Lyon Bastia missed his rival Ice-Make mage and the rest of the rowdy, good-natured guild members. That was the reason why he, along with members of Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus, joined forces to search for them. But it wasn't like he was going to admit it or anything. Then again, there weren't that many people to admit it to.

Lyon was on his way to Fairy Tail's new building, insisting that he go by himself this time around, to check in with the remaining members when someone collided into him and knocked him over. He let out a groan and opened his eyes to see a disheveled girl laying on top of him, stunned. She blinked a few times before looking into Lyon's charcoal colored eyes.

"Wow. Someone's looking down on _me _for once. It's usually the other way around." A blush crept up her neck and she bit her lip in embarrassment. However, she made no move to get up. He cleared his throat and coolly said, "You should watch where you're going next time. Especially when you're running around like that."

"I-I-I'm so sorry! I'd make it up to you if I could..." she trailed off, completely flustered because she had ran into someone that was obviously wealthy. She quickly scrambled to her feet and glanced over her shoulder before bowing to the bluish-silver haired man. Lyon raised an eyebrow, confused by her actions. "I-I really have to g-go! I'm sorry!"

And once she ran off, he noticed the mark that tarnished her light skin. He had seen that mark several times before on missions that involved thwarting underground slave traders.

"Wait!" Lyon quickly sprang to his feet and chased after the disheveled girl, making his way to the alley she ran into. She was quick, but it wasn't hard to catch up to her. Besides, her malnourished body could only do so much. He wrapped his fingers around her wrist and spun her around to face him, causing her to freeze altogether. "You sure are a fast one, aren't you?"

Her pupils were reduced to pinpoints, out of fear, and tears started to well up in her eyes. She fell to her knees, lowered her head, and begged, shocking the Lamia Scale mage. "Please... Please don't hurt me! I truly am sorry. I-I didn't mean to pester you. I just need to get away. Please!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to help!"

"Please, please, please," she pleaded, her voice barely louder than a whisper. "Don't punish me. I'm begging you!" Lyon let go of her wrist and kneeled down in front of her. He hesitated before he reached out to place a hand on her cheek, not wanting to frighten her any further. She looked up at him, doubt swimming endlessly in her blue eyes. "Please don't make me go back. I'd rather die."

"Shh... Nobody's going to hurt you, nobody's going to make you do anything, and nobody's going to die, alright?" Her expression softened and her tears stopped, but her bottom lip kept on quivering. Lyon ran his thumb along her cheekbone, taking in her appearance. Even if she was currently a mess, she really was a looker with her doll-like face and captivating eyes. But he tried not to focus on that. He needed to get her to safety. He shrugged off his white coat and wrapped it around her small frame, adjusting the collar so that most of her face was hidden by its fur trimmings. "Come on. Let's get you out of here."

Lyon gently helped her to her feet and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, making sure to keep her close at all times. He peeked out of the end of the alley before merging with the crowd of people walking through the streets. From the corner of his eye, he noticed that the girl beside him was staring at him with curiosity in her big eyes. He let out a chuckle when he noticed how silly she looked with fur covering half of her face.

"My name's Coralie Stark," she said quietly, her voice was slightly muffled by Lyon's coat. She looked around to see if anybody else heard her, hoping that none of the troops after her were nearby. Coralie's sudden introduction took Lyon by surprise. She raised an eyebrow, seeing his shocked expression, and added, "Your turn."

"Introducing yourself first so that I'd _have _to do the same? Very slick," he whispered suavely and flashed her a charming smile. Coralie let out a laugh and the ice mage realized that he liked the sound of it. Her laughter was soft and musical, reminding him of a flute. He smiled again, to himself this time, and tightened his grip around her. "I'm the one and only Lyon Bastia! Pleasure to meet you."

"The one and only, huh? Then it's such an _honor _to meet you."

Walking with Lyon probably would have been more enjoyable for Coralie if she hadn't been on the run. As they walked through Magnolia, he treated her as if she was his new neighbor and showed her all of the places he liked to go to. Lyon knew so much about the town, that she was surprised that he didn't live there. Instead, he lived in a town that was southwest from the one they were currently in.

The pair were nearing the outskirts of Magnolia, where the second Fairy Tail building was. It was located in an area where less people ventured, unlike the first building. None of the guild members were very fond of it, but there was nothing they could do about it since the guild almost fell to bankruptcy. Lyon sighed. At least the place was safe. Well, except for the fact that Twilight Ogre frequently visited to collect their monthly payment and often picked fights if Macao hadn't collected enough money. He doubted that Coralie would be in any danger once they got there, though.

Lyon was so close to bringing Coralie to safety when someone tackled him to the ground, bringing the frail girl down with them. He groaned and looked around to see that they were surrounded by men in armor. They carried swords in one hand and short pieces of ropes with rounded stones tied on the ends in the other.

"Hand over the slave girl and you won't get hurt," one of the armored men boomed.

"You'd have to kill me first, you bastards." Lyon stood up and used his body to shield Coralie from their vision. He dusted off his clothes and ran a hand through his snowy hair. Then he assumed a battle stance and placed a fist in the palm of his hand. "Ice Make: Eagle."

Coralie watched as multiple eagles that were made of ice fly through the air, striking several of the Slave Retrieval Squad members. She hadn't known that Lyon was a mage and she stared up at him in awe. Ice magic. That was the kind of magic that had frozen Maragua days before her disappearance. Just thinking about Maragua made the fugitive girl shiver. Then she noticed that two of the troops managed to evade Lyon's attack and were prepping to throw their ropes at him. Coralie gasped. She remembered what those ropes were for. And it would be bad if they managed to latch onto a mage. "Lyon, watch out! Behind you!"

But it was too late. Each rope had wrapped itself around Lyon's wrists, bound them together, and worked its magic. Well, anti-magic.

"How do you feel now, mage?" one of the troops taunted, pushing Lyon to the ground and pressing his dirty boot against his back. The mage grimaced, wondering how he had ended up being at a disadvantage. "Looks like Master Cygnus will be happy with us. We got us a mage _and _his little jailbird."

The troops started to cackle loudly, closely resembling hyenas. It was as if they almost forgot that Coralie was nearby.

_Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub._

"W-Water Dragon's Roar!"

A spiraling jet of water spurted out from her mouth and hit the last troops that remained standing. The high speeds that the water was moving in had forced them to the ground and started to cut their skin, making them screech in pain.

Lyon's eyes widened in shock. X787. Maybe it was the year that things would change for him, too.

* * *

**OH. DID YOU SEE WHAT I DID THERE WITH MARAGUA'S NAME? Mar=sea and agua= water. Okay. Haha. Well, I'm sorry if this chapter flowed a little... weirdly? I don't know. First chapters always stump me. Sorry! Anyways, feel free to leave a review if you want to and stay tuned for the next chapter.~  
**


	2. Two

**Well, here's chapter two! Hope you guys enjoy! And I hope this is good enough for you guys! And I shall call Lamia Scale's town Camellia(decided to keep the flower/tree theme of Fiore, LOL) until the manga states its real name, bahaha. Oh! And I decided to draw my OC and Lyon. You can see it on deviantART(click the link on my profile) or just look at the little picture next to the summary, LOL.  
**

**Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own Fairy Tail.  
**

* * *

Jailbird

"Well, well, well. Who taught a worthless, little slave like you such powerful magic?"

Everybody's eyes widened in shock, except Lyon's because he had no idea what the big deal was. All he saw was a tall, skinny man with blonde hair standing with a fancy golden cane in his hand. So what? He didn't look special or anything. A smirk was plastered on the stranger's face as he glared at Coralie. She furiously puffed her cheeks up, readying herself for another Water Dragon's Roar, when one of the less injured troops pounced on her and tied her up with anti-magic rope.

"We got her! Just like you asked, Sir Cygnus!" the man sitting on top of Coralie announced, a smug grin on his face.

Cygnus flicked his hair out of his face and scoffed. "Yes, but you're three days too late. You're all experts! You should have been able to capture her the moment she escaped!"

"B-but, sir! It's been five years since the last slave got very far! We have a lot of newbies and the experienced troops are a little rusty..."

"Whatever you say." Cygnus turned on his heel and raised a hand, beckoning the squad to follow. "Well, come on now. Grab the girl and let's go."

The Ice-Make mage gritted his teeth as he simply watched while one of the armored men forcefully pulled Coralie to her feet and slung her over his shoulder. They didn't even bother to release him from his binds. But that was the least of his worries. He told Coralie that nobody was going to hurt her. He told her that nobody was going to force her to do anything. But there she was, being taken away by men who objectified her. There, she would go back to that man's dwelling and do whatever he wanted her to do, against her own will.

The blonde man and the injured troops were already a few meters away. Lyon had to think of something and fast. He needed to save her before she was lost to the world of slavery forever.

"Wait," Lyon said loudly, sounding cool and composed as always. The blonde man slightly turned his head and watched Lyon from the corner of his eye. "I'm willing to make a deal."

"A deal you say?" Cygnus asked, completely turning around to walk over to Lyon. "You! Help this man to his feet."

"Can't you help me yourself?" Lyon mumbled underneath his breath. "I mean, you're the one standing in front of me."

"Did you say something?"

Lyon simply shrugged as he was lifted to his feet. He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck before looking at Cygnus again. "So about that deal I was talking about."

"Well, get on with it."

"How about I buy her off of you?"

Coralie's jaw dropped and suddenly, rage coursed throughout her veins and engulfed her entire being. If she hadn't been bound by anti-magic ropes, she would have flooded the entire town. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Lyon helped her just to do _this_? Was this his plan all along? She wanted to be free! She didn't want to be sold off to another person! The black haired girl started to wriggle in protest, causing the man holding onto her to drop her, and let out a feral snarl. A few members of the Slave Retrieval Squad jumped back in fear, hoping that the slave girl didn't have rabies or anything of the sort. It was a ridiculous idea.

"Untie him," Cygnus demanded, snapping his fingers at the troops. The men just looked at Cygnus skeptically, wondering what the nobleman was thinking. "Well, this isn't how we treat customers, right?" He turned back to Lyon, flashing him a sickening smile. "How much are we talking?"

Once his wrists were free from the ropes, Lyon immediately felt the Eternano in the atmosphere rushing back into his body. Part A of "Lyon's Amazing Escape Plan" had finally been accomplished. Now all he needed to do was wait for a few moments, until he had _just_ enough magic, to put Part B in motion.

"A million jewels."

"What kind of person are you?!" Coralie yelled, struggling to sit up. She glared at her supposed savior, but he simply ignored her. "I thought you were trying to _help _me! Well, guess what? You're not!" Then angry tears started to well up in her eyes. She couldn't believe it. She had trusted him to help her out, but it turned out that she was just switching owners. Well, if Cygnus accepted his offer. "I'm a _person_, you know... I'm not a pack mule that you could just trade off and sell."

Lyon grimaced when he heard her soft voice cracking. She didn't understand what he was trying to do. He wished that he could explain everything to her, but he couldn't. Not with Cygnus and the Slave Retrieval Squad of Bosco standing right in front of him. Coralie just needed to be patient.

He just hoped that she wouldn't hate him once he got her out of Magnolia and away from those crazy people from Bosco.

"Do you really own that much money?" the blonde man asked skeptically, tapping his foot impatiently. He sounded bored. Even if the mage had that much money or not, he didn't need it. He was filthy rich. "You must be bluffing."

"Why would I, an extraordinary mage from one of the most powerful guilds of Fiore, try to deceive you? Of course I have that much money!"

Cygnus scanned Lyon over with his green eyes, trying to see past his facade. But Lyon was Lyon. He was cool. He was composed. He was confident. And he was a tad bit arrogant. There was no way that he would let the man from Bosco find some reason to doubt him. Well, despite the fact that he had been caught trying to rescue Coralie.

"Well, cough up the jewels."

"Oh, right. Right," Lyon said to himself, patting the front and back pockets of his pants before reaching into his tunic. Then a look of surprise appeared on his face. "Damn, it looks like I left all of my money at home." He slammed a fist into the palm of his hand, finally allowing a long-awaited smirk tug at his lips. "Oh, well. Ice Make: Pillar."

Then a large pillar jutted out from the ground, engulfing Cygnus and his troops in ice. Coralie gaped at the sight. What in the world just happened? She turned to look at Lyon, staring blankly at him while she tried to force words out of her mouth. Seeing that she wasn't going to get up anytime soon, the ice mage rolled his eyes and picked her up before running off towards the train station. He needed to get Coralie out of Magnolia as soon as possible. Who knew if Cygnus was going to come back for her after he managed to get out of the ice pillar.

It looked like Fairy Tail would just have to wait.

When they neared the station, the girl in his arms started to kick her legs violently and almost hit him in the head. She started yelling at him, but he couldn't make out anything except for "I don't wish to serve you!" and "Stupid ropes! Untie them!" Lyon felt relieved when he finally got her on the next train back to Camellia, due to the fact that she passed out from motion sickness. Sure, he was worried for her well-being, but he was glad that she wasn't capable of making a scene anymore.

The black haired girl woke up in a large, comfy bed with navy blue sheets and fluffy pillows several hours later. She cautiously scanned her surroundings with her midnight colored eyes. Then she noticed she was in a new set of clothes, her hair had been brushed, and she was completely clean. Her nose crinkled in distaste when she made out Lyon's scent all around her, even on the oversized t-shirt she was wearing. Deciding that it was time to explore, Coralie crawled out of bed and tiptoed to the bedroom door.

She found Lyon napping on the living room couch and suppressed a growl as she silently strode over to him. Then she pounced. He was jolted awake by a sudden weight on his body, causing him to slightly flinch. He looked up at her with groggy eyes and couldn't help but smirk.

"You should at least buy me dinner first," he teased and let out a yawn.

Coralie glared and wrapped a small hand around Lyon's neck. "Where did you take me?!"

"My apartment."

"Why?"

"You needed my help."

"That was before you tried to buy me off of Cygnus! And then you just... you just 'stole' me like I was some sort of toy that you desperately needed!"

A shriek escaped from Coralie's lips when she was suddenly flipped over, her back crashing onto the floor. She groaned in pain while Lyon hovered over her, pinning her arms down with one hand. She was still weak, from both the motion sickness and anti-magic ropes. She stared up at the snowy haired man and her face paled. When did his shirt come off? The anger in her eyes quickly transformed into horror. She was afraid that Lyon's face would soon become Cygnus'. "Look, I _saved _you from him. I don't know what he did to you, but I didn't want you to go back to _that_."

"W-well, what do you want with m-me?" Coralie asked timidly, averting her gaze.

He sounded smug when he spoke. "Well, you _were_ the damsel in distress and I was the kind and dashing knight who came to your rescue... so I want my reward."

Coralie gulped, scared of what kind of reward he was seeking. She was pretty sure that his face had transformed already.

"I want you to join Lamia Scale."

* * *

**So how was it? Feel free to tell me! And drop a review if you feel like it. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the next chapter.~  
**


	3. Three

**I tried to update as soon as possible for you guys! Oh, and sorry this is slightly shorter than the past two chapters. Anyways... Onward! ****I hope y'all like it!**  


**Disclaimer: I still don't own Fairy Tail. Just my OC's.  
**

* * *

Jailbird

All eyes were on the newbie, making her feel like an abomination. A chill ran down Coralie's spine and she clung onto Lyon's arm even tighter, trying to make herself as small as possible. She didn't like all the attention she was getting. She just wasn't used to it. She was used to being invisible. She was used to being one of Cygnus' many toys.

Sure, she was a new face, but everyone sees unfamiliar faces everyday, right? Sure, she was wearing another one of Lyon's shirts, but she had added a belt to make it look like a dress. There wasn't any reason for her to be inspected, right?

There were a few people in Lamia Scale that frightened her, like the blue haired man with abnormally large eyebrows and the man with dog-like features. There was also the large and muscular bald man with the oval-shaped eyebrows and the long beard. Oh, and she couldn't forget the old lady who was always yelling or making people spin around in circles. Literally. So this was what a guild was. But it seemed like it would be a little too much for her to handle. Why did she agree to join in the first place? Oh, right. She _owed _Lyon for saving her _and _for getting one of his female guildmates to bathe and clothe her while she was out cold.

"It's nice to see that you're out and about!" a pink haired, blue eyed woman said loudly as she pulled the frightened girl away from Lyon. She held Coralie's hands in hers and flashed her a bright, friendly smile. The Water Dragon Slayer recognized this woman's scent from Lyon's apartment and she immediately decided that this was the woman who had cleaned her up. Coralie was about to smile back when she noticed how the older woman's revealing outfit showed off her curvaceous body, causing her to look down at her own chest in embarrassment. "And you look well, too! It must have been because of Lyon-sama's love!"

Coralie raised a thin, dark eyebrow and turned her head to glance at Lyon, her blue eyes meeting his charcoal ones. Lyon simply shrugged and averted his gaze while a few guild members sent wolf whistles his way. He nonchalantly waved a hand in the air, causing the ruckus to die down, before he turned to the pink haired woman. His voice sounded cold when he spoke. "Don't even get started with that love stuff, Sherry."

Sherry, however, didn't seem fazed or offended by his words at all. Instead, she clasped her hands in front of her and sighed dreamily. "Oh, but Lyon-sama, everything happens because of love! It's the strongest force in the world."

The man with bushy eyebrows smacked his palm against his face while the Ice-Make mage let out an exacerbated sigh. "Sherry, _please _just get Coralie settled in and whatnot."

The little, old lady, who turned out to be the master of Lamia Scale, fumed as she watched Lyon act as if he was in charge of the guild. She angrily spun her arms in circles, making the dog-like man spin around and around, as she scolded Lyon. "You can't just go around making rash decisions without consulting the rest of the guild first!"

"You're one to talk, Master," Lyon said, his voice laced with amusement. He looked over at the bar where Sherry was sitting with Coralie, happily telling her about the guild while waving her arms around dramatically. He couldn't help but smile at the younger girl's childlike fascination with Sherry's stories. "She's had it rough, you know. She's been a slave since the day she was born. A guild might keep her from falling into the darkness like I did." He was surprised that he learned so much about her in the span of one night. She was still skeptical of him, but they sat on his bed, stayed up all night, and simply talked. He told her about his obsession with surpassing Ur, how it steered him onto the wrong road, and how joining a guild helped him return to the right path. He still had to thank his missing childhood friend for that. In return, she told him about her life as a slave. But he knew there were several details that she left out. She couldn't possibly summarize eighteen years in one night. "And she's a Dragon Slayer. You've always wanted one of those in our guild, right? Especially with the Grand Magic Games coming up."

"I suppose we can make room for her," Ooba said quietly, mostly to herself, as she looked over to the black haired girl. The master of Lamia Scale was able to sense the girl's potential. She was going to be a promising addition to the guild. "Just make sure she works hard! You know I don't tolerate slackers!"

Lyon ran a hand through his spiky hair and sighed with content before approaching the women at the bar. Sherry was babbling on and on about how she was going to take Coralie out on a shopping spree in the near future while she pressed the magic stamp tool against the other girl's right shoulder blade. Then Sherry excused herself, saying that she had someone to meet, and left the guild. Lyon took a seat next to Coralie and smirked.

"Why, hello there," the Dragon Slayer said coolly, examining her fingernails. Apparently, Sherry had managed to fit in a manicure session for the former slave during Lyon's short conversation with the guild master. She seemed indifferent, but he noticed the joy gleaming in her dark, blue eyes. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Lyon smiled at the younger girl and rested his arm on the bar, propping his head up with his hand. "Why don't I buy you a drink?"

"A drink? Oh, no thank you," she replied, trying to contain her laughter and excitement. But she couldn't hold it in any longer. She bounced in her seat while a flurry of giggles escaped from her lips, the sound of it shocking her because she hadn't felt so giddy in so long. "So this is a guild, huh? Is it really filled with people who can use magic? And look! I can get marked without getting hurt!" Then she immediately shut up and glanced down at her ankle, suddenly remembering the painful burning sensation that came with her label. The skull and crossbones that marked her as a slave was still there, tainting her skin. But its meaning had been nullified the moment that she stepped into Fiore. "But I'm free now, right? Nobody's going to hurt me now."

Lyon pushed her dark hair out of her face, revealing a scar that ran along the left side of her hairline. He decided not to question her about it. Instead, he allowed her to quietly reassure herself that she was fine, that she wasn't going to return to Cygnus' estate. The ice mage sat there, wondering how someone so innocent could be so haunted. It just wasn't right.

What exactly did Cygnus do to this girl?

"Look, there's something I want you to look forward to. You're in a guild now. We have accepted you as one of our own. Everyone here will be willing to help you. No matter what. And once you go out on several jobs and earn enough money, you can move out of my apartment and live life on your own."

But it never happened.

* * *

**Oh, what do I mean by "it never happened?" Looks like you'll have to stay tuned to find out!(Even if I kind of ended this chapter awkwardly. Sorry!) Well, hope you guys enjoyed and feel free to review! Thanks for reading, guys.~  
**


	4. Four

**Wow, can you believe that I haven't updated since last year?! Haha, kidding. It's only been like a few weeks. ANYWAYS, here's my first update of 2013! Hope you enjoy and I apologize for any OOC-ness. Oh, and this is more of an explanation and details chapter. So sorry if it gets kind of boring!  
**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Fairy Tail and I still only own my OC. K.  
**

* * *

Jailbird 

_"Coralie, Coralie, Coralie... What in the world should I do about you? I'm beginning to get tired of your mischief. It used to be charming, you know. Now, it's quite troublesome."  
_

_She was kneeling on the cold, tile flooring in Cygnus' grand bedroom, her jaw was set and her small hands were balled up into fists on her lap. Caught again. How many times did she have to run to finally be free from the tendrils of slavery? She was sick and tired of being somebody's property, somebody's rag doll. She wanted to be her own person. She wanted to find herself. All of Cygnus' slaves felt the same. Coralie was just one of the few who were brave enough to try to change things.  
_

_"Why do you always do this to yourself? I'm pretty sure you know that there will be dire consequences."  
_

_She just wished that she could use her magic and attack Cygnus, but there were troops waiting just outside the door with their anti-magic rope. If she ever revealed that she was a mage, she'd be under stricter supervision_ and _would have some sort of anti-magic device attached to her at all times. How would she be able to escape if that happened?  
_

_But if she had just quickly flooded the entire estate... No, no, no. She hadn't been practicing her magic as often as she did when Maragua was still around. She probably wouldn't be capable of doing that yet.  
_

Why did Mama Agua have to go off and disappear? _she snarled in her head as she glared at Cygnus with those icy, blue eyes._

_"This is your third attempt to escape this year. What changed? What makes you think that you'll finally make it out of here?"  
_

_"Since I always cause you so much trouble, why don't you just free me?" she hissed as she looked him in the eye, ignoring his question and asking one of her own. Rage was burning brightly in midnight. Her master only scoffed in response. It was an unbelievable request. "Why do you want to keep me here so badly? I don't see you treating other slaves as harshly as you treat me."  
_

_She sure was gutsy. Cygnus had to give her credit for that.  
_

_"You don't know a thing about yourself or your past, do you?" Cygnus stopped pacing in front of her, a sick smile plastered on his lips. "__You see, you're different, Coralie." _He grabbed the collar of her torn up shirt and pulled her to her feet before squeezing her face with his thumb and forefinger. She grimaced, disgusted by the fact that his face was just a few centimeters away from hers. He was so close that she felt his hot breath on her skin. Her stomach lurched and her heart sank to her knees. "You know, I have tons of special things planned for you. Just. For. You. I want to destroy you mentally. I want to corrupt you. But you're lucky that now just isn't the right time."

_Then Coralie acted without thinking and spit in his face. And she had the nerve to grin with satisfaction.  
_

_"You insolent whore! I think it's about time you received your punishment."  
_

_"Me? The whore?" the black haired girl scoffed and started to laugh uncontrollably. "As if!"  
_

_Cygnus pushed Coralie back to her knees, strode over to his bedside table, and grabbed an unopened beer bottle. He raised it over his head, causing Coralie to squeeze her eyes shut, but the bottle never made impact with her skull. He had teased her. Then she hesitantly opened an eye to see Cygnus popping the cap off the bottle and emptying its contents on her head. The liquid burned her eyes and got in her nose. She sputtered and spat and swiped at her face, trying to get the taste of alcohol out of her mouth.  
_

_Then she heard the sound of glass shattering and felt a sharp pain on her forehead. Her knees ached, blood was pouring over her left eye, she was seeing double, and her head was throbbing. But she still let out a laugh and taunted him. "That's the b-best you g-got? I-I dare you to d-do that again."  
_

_But he did something far worse. He touched her the way a man would touch his lover._

* * *

"You're okay. You're safe," a calm and soothing voice murmured. She felt familiar hands weave their way through her hair in an attempt to comfort her. They must have gone through her hair several times in the past. If those hands hadn't been there to pull her up to the surface, she would have drowned in the last memory she had at Cygnus' manor on a daily basis. "Come on, stop crying. Crying isn't attractive. You said so yourself." He feigned shock and placed a hand on his chest when the girl's tears still wouldn't stop. "Are you telling me you're a hypocrite? How could you keep such a big secret from me?!"

Coralie gingerly rubbed her eyes before finally opening them. She let out a shrill scream when she realized that she was in a bed, looking up at a half-naked man with her head resting on his lap. She quickly sat up, the top of her head colliding with the half-dressed man's chin, and scrambled off of the bed. She ran straight into the large, walk-in closet and curled up on the floor, cupping her hands over her ears.

Lyon yawned and slowly got out of bed, following the disoriented young woman into the closet. He yanked one of his old coats from its hanger, the white one with the fur trimmings that she loved, and draped it around her shoulders before sitting down next to her. He gently wrapped his arms around her and whispered reassuring words in her ear.

"Do you know where you are?" he asked her once her sobs ceased, but her body was still racked with violent tremors. She shrugged and unconsciously leaned into him, burying her face in his chest. It was him. She was safe with him. She knew she was. And he hated seeing her like this. "You're home, Coralie. You're safe."

"Home?" she asked uncertainly, looking up at him timidly. Tears were starting to well up in her midnight blue eyes again.

"Yeah, home." He caressed the dark circles underneath her eyes, letting his fingers linger a tad bit longer than necessary. She gave him a small smile before turning her head, trying to hide the fact that her cheeks were reddening. "You're in the apartment that we've shared for two years. You'll always be safe as long as I'm around, got it?"

Coralie simply nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck while he rested his chin on the top of her head. That was right. She had been living with Lyon for two years. Originally, he insisted that he would sleep on the couch while she occupied his bedroom. But after living together for a week, she had walked into the living room with tears in her eyes and timidly asked him if he could keep her company. And when Coralie had wedged a pillow between their bodies on the second night of sharing a bed, sleeping together had become part of their daily routines. Besides, sharing a bed wasn't a big deal if all you were going to do was sleep. That was why she woke up to his face.

"Please don't let him touch me like that ever again."

Lyon didn't even have to ask to know that she was talking about Cygnus. A string of curses nearly escaped from his lips.

"That grimy bastard won't. He never will again," he promised, pulling her closer to him and grimaced, knowing that he could just go on and on about how Cygnus was a filthy piece of scum. He breathed in the scent of her piña-colada shampoo as it wafted to his nose and closed his eyes. The scent tended to calm him down. "Not on my watch."

There was a long pause of silence before Coralie spoke up. "I'm sorry, Lyon. I'm so... so sorry that I keep dragging you down with me. I wish you never had to worry about me."

Lyon gritted his teeth when he heard her apology. He hated how she sounded so sincere, so miserable. She didn't need to apologize. Why? Because he didn't mind waking up in the middle of the night just to hold her in his arms. He wouldn't say it to her face, but he really didn't mind at all. She damn well knew that she didn't have to, but she still did.

The snowy haired mage let out a disappointed sigh. After two years of freedom, the girl in his arms was still plagued by nightmares of being enslaved. She had been born into slavery. Being a prisoner was pretty much all she knew. It made her heart like snow: beautiful but cold.

But over the past two years, Coralie had gotten better in several ways. Her magic was getting stronger and stronger as the days went by. She was still petite, but no longer stick thin. She opened up to her fellow guild members. She even got close to Jura, who sometimes took her out on a few S-class missions. She was gaining confidence in herself. She was doing well.

She could have moved out of his apartment whenever she wanted to. But she had decided to stay. She had managed to earn enough money to buy a house after being part of Lamia Scale for six months. She needed him and hell, he kind of needed her, too.

Lyon was her reason to stay in Camellia; Coralie was his reason to come home after each and every mission. She felt the need to take on some sort of responsibility to gain control of her life; he needed to relax and have someone take care of him every once in a while. She needed someone to believe in her; he was more than willing to give her all the encouragement and support she needed, even if she didn't need him around anymore. She believed that after all she had been through, love wouldn't treat her right; he was convinced that he would be the one to change her mind.

They were perfect for each other. She knew that she was a puzzle, but the two of them failed to notice that he was the pieces.

* * *

**So how was it? Hope you liked it! And drop a review if you feel like it! Bahaha. Stay tuned.~ **


	5. Five

**Hey, guys! Sorry for delaying this chapter! But I had writer's block, bleh. Sorry, but this is pretty much another description chapter. I'll try to make things more exciting in the next one! I like the first part of this chapter, though.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. I just own my OC.  
**

* * *

Jailbird

Several birds were chirping rather obnoxiously and warm sunlight was barely peering through the drapes when midnight colored eyes opened for the first time that morning. A content sigh escaped her lips and she let her eyes drift close again. She found it odd that she felt rejuvenated after crying her eyes out the night before, but she definitely couldn't say that she hated the feeling. She let out a yawn and stretched out her limbs, only to find them rubbing against skin. Someone else's skin.

She opened her eyes again and raised a curious eyebrow as she finally took in her surroundings. She had her face buried in the crook of somebody's neck. Her body was held close to another, one hand buried in her hair and one protectively resting on her waist. Toned legs had entangled themselves with hers. Her arms had been wedged between her torso and his bare and sturdy chest, finding themselves comfortable there. She was still wearing his coat. His unique scent, the smell of winter snow falling to the earth for the first time, lingered in her nose.

She didn't even freak out. She didn't even stop to wonder about the pillow that usually laid between them. Instead, she acted without thinking and softly pressed her lips against his collarbone. Knowing that Lyon was still deep in his sea of dreams, a grin tugged at her lips when she felt his body shudder involuntarily. They've lived together for two whole years and he never woke up earlier her. But she still whispered, "Good morning, Lyon."

There was a reason why Coralie absolutely loved mornings. This was why. It was when Lyon was fast asleep. It was when she was able to snuggle up against him for a few extra minutes. It was when the world didn't want or expect anything from them. It was when she could completely express her feelings for him without being afraid of rejection.

"I don't know why I'm so afraid to just talk about it," the black haired woman pondered out loud, carefully removing Lyon's arm from her waist. She let out a sigh and ran a hand through her hair. "Maybe it's because you're just... you. And I'm well... me." She let out another sigh, sounding frustrated this time, and took a quick glance at the man that was laying next to her. He had been perfectly fine before she came into his life. He didn't really need her to keep on living happily. On the other hand, she didn't know what she'd do without him. She hated feeling like she was a burden to him. She sighed before catching a trace of a smile on his lips. "I wonder what in the world you could be dreaming about."

Then Coralie slid off of the tall bed, her bare feet making a soft _thud_ against the wood flooring. She stretched again, her loose v-neck rising up, and shivered as the chilly, morning air made contact with her exposed stomach. Then she started to head to the bathroom, ready to prepare for another day as a Lamia Scale mage, but warm fingers snaked around her wrist and pulled her back into bed. She let out a squeak when she realized that she was laying on top of the half-dressed man, her long hair serving as a curtain that shielded them from the world.

"Lyon! What are―"

Lyon tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear before caressing the jagged scar that looked both perfect and out of place on her doll-like face. The way that he looked at her was enough to cut her off. "You don't have to be afraid."

A tinge of pink started to invade the young woman's cheeks and she unconsciously bit her bottom lip. He _heard _her! He had been feigning sleep the entire time! She started to shake, dread coursing through her veins. Did he know that she kind of, sort of kissed him?

"It's early," Lyon murmured, rolling them over to their sides and pulling the blanket over them. He tightly wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled his face in her hair. "Let's sleep for another hour or so."

"What? I... We..." she trailed off and shook her head. She rolled out of bed, yanking the navy blue comforter away from him before wrapping it around her body as she walked out of the bedroom. "We should get ready for breakfast! And head to the guild soon! Wouldn't want Sherry starting any love related rumors, right?"

"Fine! You can stay up! But you could at least let me have the blanket!"

* * *

"Is it Wednesday already?" the little, old man at the cash register asked happily with a big, toothy smile on his face. Coralie nodded excitedly, holding the elder's hands in hers. "Oh, Coralie. You don't know how much I look forward to Wednesdays. Your weekly visits are the only constant things in my life."

The black haired woman shook her head with a wide grin plastered on her face. She had met the owner of the lovely café on one of her first missions. He needed help transporting some special ingredients from Hargeon to Camellia. _And _he needed someone to ward off mercenaries that some restaurants hired to steal the rare items he had stocked up on.

Thus, once Coralie succeeded in safely escorting the old man back to his café, he had insisted that she come and visit sometime. He even said that he'd always give her a discount! So every Wednesday that she was in town, Coralie would go there for breakfast; she would always drag Lyon along if he was available.

"Gramps! You remember Lyon, right?" she asked excitedly as she placed one hand on the counter and used the other hand to point at the snowy haired mage behind her.

"How could I forget?" Gramps acknowledged Lyon with a nod. "The two of you are inseparable!" There seemed to be a twinkle in the balding man's eyes and a sly grin pulled at the corner of his chapped lips. Lyon tried to pretend that he didn't see it. What was the old man implying? Then Gramps turned back to Coralie. "So is it green tea and a broccoli and cheddar quiche for you? Or should I say that it's for him?"

"_Gramps_, stop it. But yeah, you know it!" Coralie handed him some money, trying to sneak in a few extra jewels, before quickly walking away from the counter. "Keep the change! I won't take it back!"

Lyon chuckled at the younger woman's actions before stepping up to order two slices of raspberry lemonade bread and a glass of milk, without taking his eyes off of her. Then he turned to the café owner to pay for the meal when he saw something twinkling in his eyes again. "Is something bugging you?"

"For the past two and a half years, I've never seen either one of you without the other. What's up with that?" the frail, old man asked, placing his elbows on the counter and resting his head in his hands. A whistle escaped his lips and he started to laugh again. "When are you two going to tie the knot?"

Lyon stubbornly fought with the blush that threatened to flood his cheeks. "How could you come up with such an idea? We're not even dating."

"Let's see... You two live together, share the same bed, can't keep your eyes off of each other... You two order and pay for each other's meals. Y'all even bicker like an old, married couple! Why not just get on with it already? Y'all aren't getting any younger!"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Whatever you say," Gramps murmured, handing Lyon both his and Coralie's orders. The ice mage huffed in annoyance and headed to the table that Coralie had snagged. "I know young love when I see it!"

The Dragon Slayer grinned, showing off her elongated canines, when Lyon placed her food in front of her. She immediately picked up a slice of raspberry lemonade bread and practically inhaled it. A content look spread across her face and she picked up the second slice, eating it slowly this time.

"So, what did you and Gramps talk about?" Coralie asked, taking another bite out of her bread. She skimmed a finger around the top of her glass and looked at him with curiosity. Sure, she had heard bits and pieces of their conversation, thanks to her enhanced hearing, but she tried not to eavesdrop. "You were up at the counter for a long while. I was afraid you were going to hold up the line."

"Just small talk," Lyon answered stoically as he stuffed a forkful of quiche in his mouth, savoring the taste.

"Huh. I don't believe you."

They ate in a comfortable silence. Well, until Lyon noticed that Coralie was staring intently at him. Or rather, his food. He raised an eyebrow and cleared his throat in an attempt to catch her attention. Her cheeks reddened and she gulped.

"Still hungry?" he teased, dramatically stuffing more quiche in his mouth. His companion nodded in response. "Well, why don't you just ask?"

Coralie nodded again and opened her mouth to speak. "Can I have a bite of your food, please?"

"Nah." Lyon winked at her and flashed a smirk, causing her to fume. He ran his hand through his spiky hair and said, "You're going to have to ask me as cutely as you can."

"You're ridiculous!" Coralie scoffed, jutting out her bottom lip and crossing her arms against her chest. "Never mind, then!"

Everything about her was cute. And Lyon couldn't resist. She needed to stop.

He muttered something incoherent as he lifted his fork up to Coralie's mouth. Her eyes widened and a happy sounding noise came from her mouth as she gladly accepted his food. Lyon even swore that he saw Gramps raise his arms in the air in some sort of victory dance, causing him to roll his eyes.

Coralie sure was odd, but it didn't stop him from falling for her.

He needed to tell her. Maybe someday.

* * *

**I really didn't know how to end this... Wah. Hope you guys enjoyed anyways!  
**


	6. Six

**Hey, guys! Sorry I haven't updated in a while! I've been really busy with spring semester and stuff. But here I am! With a new chapter! And yes, I'm aware that it's kind of short. And I apologize for that! I really am sorry. Anywho, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Jailbird

"Uh, Lyon, there's something I wanted to talk to you about... It's kind of important..."

Hearing those words and her timid voice was enough to set his heart off on a high speed chase. It felt like it was about to jump right out of his chest. But he maintained his calm and cool composure as usual. Lyon turned around on the bar stool he was currently occupying to see Coralie standing there with her hands clasped behind her back, face glowing with a tinge of pink. He nodded to acknowledge that he was listening to her and he noticed how the expression on her face fell. He instantly regretted using such a simple gesture.

"N-never mind! I d-doubt it'd interest y-you anyways!" she said loudly, irritation replacing the crestfallen look on her face, before storming away. This caught the mage off guard. He didn't expect her to get flustered so easily. Lyon immediately jumped out of his seat and chased after her, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close to him. "Kya!"

"I'm sorry, Coralie. Forgive me?" he whispered seductively, his hot breath tickling her ear. She shivered. "Let's talk upstairs. In the library."

Her entire body heated up and that was when the black haired woman realized that everyone in the guild hall was watching them. She broke away from Lyon's grip and cleared her throat. "L-Lyon... Everyone's staring..."

"Let them."

Blood rushed to Coralie's cheeks and she lowered her head in embarrassment as she followed him up the stairs, her hand in his. She didn't want anyone in the guild to make any unnecessary comments or rumors. All she wanted to do was get things off her chest and not get shot down, hopefully.

She yanked her hand out of his grip and sat down on top of a table. She swung her legs back and forth, back and forth, trying to gather up her courage all over again. If only she didn't get all nervous earlier, she could have just spit out what was on her mind. But she _did_ get nervous. And now she was stuck here. She didn't even know if she wanted to tell Lyon anymore.

So many doubts swam in the depths of her mind. What if she told him and he didn't feel the same? Wouldn't things get awkward? What would happen then? Would she have to move out of his apartment? She didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay. With him.

But then she remembered that she hinted at her feelings towards him that morning while he was still "sleeping." She had even pressed her lips against his bare collarbone. It was an intimate gesture and he didn't make such a big deal about it. Maybe he felt the same.

Or maybe he was just being nice.

"Okay, if you're not going to talk, then I will," Lyon muttered, snapping Coralie out of her thoughts. It looked like the day to talk about his feelings for her had come earlier than expected. "Coralie, I..."

"No!" she yelled, shaking her head and resting her clenched fists on her lap. Scarlet flooded her face, but determination shone brightly in her eyes. "I'm going to be the one who does this!"

She started to shake when Lyon crossed his arms across his chest, waiting for her to continue. She could tell that a smirk was tugging at the ends of his lips.

"I've been through a lot and you know that..." Coralie allowed her voice to trail off. "You pretty much know everything about me. It's easy to talk to you about myself. I _know _who I am when I'm around you." She didn't know where she was going with this. She didn't know what she was supposed to say. "With everything I've been through, you've been the bright spot in my life."

Coralie twiddled her thumbs, trying to piece together another sentence in her head. The ice mage noticed how concentration took over her facial features; her brows were furrowed and she unconsciously bit her bottom lip. He simply stared at her with awe. The dark haired woman looked up, ready to speak, when she saw the look he was giving her. She sat there with her jaw hanging. Nobody ever looked at her that way before. It made her feel like a schoolgirl with an insane and unhealthy crush.

She shook her head. No distractions. Not yet. Not until after she told him.

"Lyon, I lo―"

But before those words even had a chance to slip through her lips, Lyon had strode over to where she was sitting, wedged himself between her legs, and he kissed her senseless. He couldn't hold back anymore. His hands found their way to the back of her neck, pulling her close and deepening the kiss. Instinctively, she flung her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his. They were so close that nothing could possibly come between them, not even air. Never in his life had he felt so out of control, yet so in control at the same time.

And while heat and passion overcame the both of them, Lyon noticed how Coralie's hands trembled as they played with the hair on the nape of his neck. Things had escalated way too quickly. It was probably the result of suppressing such strong feelings for a long period of time. And now that their feelings were out in the open, everything just exploded. In a good way.

"Are you sure?" he asked quietly, murmuring against her lips. He pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. She looked up at him with those blue eyes of hers, bewildered. On the other hand, his eyes were closed and he mainly focused on how she felt in his arms. "Tell me that you're absolutely sure."

"One hundred percent." If she wasn't so sure, then she wouldn't have let him steal her first kiss so easily.

He didn't know why he felt so jittery. "Good. Because I feel the same way. I love―"

She cut him off by gently pressing her lips against his, interrupting him like he did to her. This time, the kiss was sweet and innocent.

"You just earned yourself the title of 'The One and Only Lyon Bastia's Girlfriend.'"

"You've got it all wrong. _You _get the title of 'The Amazing Coralie Stark's Boyfriend'" she asserted, narrowing her midnight blue eyes at him. She looked so serious. But within a few seconds, the two burst out in a fit of laughter. "Those titles sound completely ridiculous!"

"Lyooooooooon!" came Chelia's voice. The man she was looking for let out a laugh and ran a hand through his spiky hair. He wondered what the young, pink haired girl could possibly want from him now. "Lyon, where are you?"

"Go. You can't just leave a comrade hanging," Coralie whispered, lightly pushing him away from her. But Lyon didn't want to. He wanted to ditch the guild for the day, have a cup of tea, and just cuddle with the woman standing in front of him. But she had seemingly read his mind and shot down the idea before he could even voice it. She jumped down from the desk, straightened out her clothes, and stretched. A mix of glee and frustration flashed on her doll-like face. "I'm going on another S-class mission with Jura today."

"Perfect timing," Lyon sneered, trying not to sound bitter.

She held one of his hands in both of hers and squeezed it in reassurance. "It won't take long. I'll be back in a few days!"

With that, she was gone. And who really knew how long she'd be away?

* * *

**Sort of had a major writer's block on this chapter, but I pulled through! See? Haha. Hopefully I'll get to update soon. If not, then I apologize in advance!**


	7. Seven

**Ah! Here's chapter 7! Sorry for another short chapter! And sorry that this chapter goes back and forth often... but I thought that it would help with how dramatic, I guess, it's supposed to be. Oh, and I apologize for any OOC-ness! Hope you enjoy!~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. I just own my OC's.**

* * *

Jailbird

There were some things that just didn't add up. And it was bugging Lyon.

Of course he was happy because the girl that he loved, loved him back. But for the past week, he hadn't been able to sleep well. Why? Why did she choose to tell him at that very moment? At the guild hall? Before she had to leave for a difficult mission? Was it merely a coincidence? Or was there a meaning behind it? And when she found out that he returned her feelings, she looked relieved. A little _too _relieved.

Maybe this was all because he missed her. He was just over thinking. His mind was on overdrive. That was probably it.

He shook his head, slammed his fist against the wooden table, and abruptly stood up. His charcoal eyes scanned the room until he spotted a long, blue braid. "Yuka! Go find the others. We're going on a mission."

* * *

"Water Dragon's Shroud."

Heavy fog condensed around the trees, making the forest look ominous. But to the Dragon Slayer, it was comforting. It allowed her to stealthily move around _and _it could possibly disorient her enemies.

But she wasn't doing so well. She had taken quite a bit of damage from her last fight.

Somehow, she had been separated from her partner. The two of them had been in the middle of a battle with the powerful, infamous mage that they were supposed to subdue. Then all of a sudden, she had been teleported to a different part of the forest. Someone else had been hiding nearby. Why wasn't she able to sense them? To smell them?

Now, she was alone. She didn't know where she was. She didn't have Jura to rely on if an enemy overpowered her. She had to be careful. With one wrong step, she could easily be eliminated. She was well aware of the risks and consequences of this mission. _Especially_ if it resulted in failure.

She shook her head. No, she couldn't think that way. She had to go back home. To Lyon. He was her motivation to succeed.

Her ears twitched. There was a rustling noise nearby. She quickly swiveled around and spotted a tree branch that was neither thick or thin wavering. Someone was there. She widened her stance, determined to make the first move, and clasped her hands together. "Water Dragon's Pulse!"

A blast of water pulsated from her clasped hands and hit the shaky branch, breaking it. Whoever was in the tree fell to the ground and angrily looked up at her.

And then it pounced before she even had the chance to react.

It was just an angry squirrel.

Then she finally sensed the foe's malicious presence and it suffocated her.

* * *

"AHH! HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN TO ME?! I LOST MY SUNGLASSES!"

Lyon, Sherry, and Yuka turned to the dog-like man who was frantically searching the area around him. The blue haired man slammed his palm against his forehead and muttered, "Toby it's on top of your―"

"WHERE COULD I HAVE LEFT IT?" Toby howled, frantically searching their little section of the train. He looked up at his teammates with puppy dog eyes and pouted. "Oooon, aren't you guys going to help me find them?"

However, they just ignored him and sat in silence. It would take a while before he realized that they were resting on the top of his head.

"Lyon-sama, you've been rather grouchy lately," the pink haired woman pointed out, breaking the silence. She spoke so nonchalantly, but one could easily tell that she was teasing him.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he retorted, his gaze never leaving the view from the window. His brows furrowed. He still couldn't stop thinking about Coralie. He just couldn't wait until their mission officially started so that he would be too busy to think about her and that S-class mission. "I expect you all to put all your focus on this mission."

"That's exactly what I'm talking about!" Sherry sing-songed before letting out a small laugh. "And about the mission... you mustn't be a hypocrite, Lyon-sama!"

Then Yuka whispered something quietly to the leader of the group. "Hey, Lyon... You're stripping again."

But the snowy haired mage didn't seem to hear Yuka. He also didn't seem to notice that he had stripped down to his underwear, exposing his toned body. Instead, he turned to Sherry and with the straightest face, he requested that she explain love to him one more time.

"Oh, is this about Cora-chan?"

"Maybe, maybe not."

"Okay, then! Like I've said before, everything happens because of _love_! It's the strongest force in the world. It can heal and it can wound."

The man with the abnormally bushy eyebrows slumped back in his seat and groaned while his comrades caused a scene. One of them was freaking out about a pair of sunglasses that were resting on his head and another was ranting on and on about love, while their so-called leader sat there with nothing but his underwear. Sometimes, Yuka wondered how he ended up being part of such an odd group.

* * *

Sweat beaded on her forehead and she was panting heavily. Her throat ached from casting attacks one after the other. Her ponytail was lopsided and wisps of hair had fallen out of place. Her grey off-the-shoulder shirt and her camouflage leggings were tattered. A trail of blood streamed down the side of her calf. She could barely stand. But she still tried to stagger away. That was when a bow and arrow made of fire appeared in his hands. Within seconds, a fiery arrow embedded itself in her already wounded knee, burning her before the flames dispersed.

The enemy was strong and he had an intent to kill.

"That's a nice little tattoo you have there." At first, Coralie thought that he had been talking about her guild stamp. Of course Lamia Scale was a well-known guild. He must have heard of them at least once. But he had been staring at her ankle, at the reason why she only wore pants in public. He was referring to her slave brand. "It's... fitting for a pest like you." The Dragon Slayer watched her opponent's hands, waiting for him to conjure another weapon made of fire. This time he chose a flaming sword. "It seems that I have to get rid of you before I can get rid of your friend. See, this fog of yours kind of ruined our fight."

She didn't get it. She had used her water magic against him, but it seemed to have no effect. Well, other than dousing his weapon, but he could easily conjure up another one within seconds.

_No wonder this is an S-class mission. I... I kind of saw this coming. Am I going to die? _Those were Coralie's last thoughts before the world darkened. She wasn't sure if she passed out from pain or from the criminal's next attack.

It looked like it could be a while before her last question was answered.

* * *

It was when he was in the midst of freezing a Vulcan with Ice Make: Water Serpent, a technique he was still trying to perfect and a technique that reminded him of Coralie, everything finally clicked.

Her sudden confession of love, that heated and passionate kiss they shared, that look of relief on her face, the mission... it all meant one thing. His heart ached and he almost lost his balance. Almost.

But why? Why did she put herself at risk like that?

He didn't have to ask. He already knew the answer.

It was a matter of pride. She wasn't going to back down from a difficult mission that Jura offered to take her on. She wanted to prove to everyone, including herself, that she was strong.

But this time... This time...

"Coralie doesn't think that she'll make it back alive."

* * *

**DUN, DUN, DUN! What do you guys think will happen next? Oh, and I tried to be creative with Coralie's Water Dragon Slayer moves... but then I was inspired by Pokemon attacks, LOL. And that bit of how Ice Make: Water Serpent(Mizuchi) reminds Lyon of Coralie just came to me. I don't know how, haha. ANYWAYS, stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	8. Eight

**Whaaaat? A second update this weekend? I must be procrastinating, haha. I'm actually pretty impressed with my work this chapter. I hope you guys like it as well!**

**Disclaimer: Nope. Still don't own Fairy Tail. Just my OC's as usual.**

* * *

Jailbird

White. It was all that she saw. Everything was white. Everything was so white that when the light reflected on the surface, it was bright enough to blind her. Where was she? Was she dead? Then she heard the whir of machines and the murmurs of people. Her nose crinkled in disgust when the antiseptic hospital smell stung her super sensitive nose. Her throat was dry and it ached. She thought that she spotted Jura sleeping on a chair in the corner of the room. No, she wasn't dead. Was she? She couldn't be _too _sure.

But she saw the darkness creeping at the edges of her vision. No. No, she didn't want to succumb to the darkness. Not again. But it forced its way in. It overtook her.

She was left with nothing to see, nothing to hear, nothing to smell, nothing to taste, nothing to _feel_.

* * *

Oval shaped eyebrows knitted together as he stared at the Lacrima crystal in front of him. Sherry had a distraught look on her face when she told him the whole story. He wasn't surprised that the person he wanted to speak to wasn't at the guild hall. Although, Jura had wished that Lyon would have stayed in Camellia for a little while longer so that he could tell him that Coralie was being cared for by great healers.

"Yesterday he just ran off in the middle of our mission, saying 'I'm going to find that damn woman and lock her up in the apartment forever!'" the pink haired woman explained, dramatically waving her arms in the air as she quoted Lyon. "I don't know where he is right now. But I'm pretty sure he weaseled his way around to find out your mission's details. Bet he's already on his way over there."

The Wizard Saint let out a chuckle and crossed his arms across his chest. "He's a very impulsive man. If what you say is true, then he should be here soon. Seems like all we can do is wait for him."

And at that very moment, the hospital's doors swung open and a rigid figure stood there. There were flames in his eyes and a few of the healers trembled as he walked inside. The atmosphere was tense and heavy. This guy meant business.

"Jura, where's Coralie?" he asked, his voice slow and cold.

That was when one of the younger healers decided to butt in. He pushed his glasses up against the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Oh... I'm so sorry. She passed away ten minutes ago."

Jura stood there and blinked. That couldn't be possible. He was just in the room with her a while ago. The nurses told him that her condition had been stabilized. They told him that she could wake up anytime now.

When the heavy fog had started to recede, he followed it and found Coralie. Their target had disappeared and he _knew _that he was supposed to go after him, but how could he just leave Coralie there? Her pulse was faint and she had lost a lot of blood. He thought that there was still a big chance that she was going to make it. Had he made it to her a second too late?

He remembered how when they barely set off on this mission, he noticed how happy Coralie was. There was that bounce in her step and that goofy grin on her face. He pointed it out to her, assuming that Lyon and their relationship had something to do with it, and she blatantly denied it. She was always one to try to hide her feelings, or she would just lie about it when someone spotted her emotions. But the blush on her cheeks revealed it all. He had never seen her so happy and it made him happy. He obviously cared about her a lot. She was sort of like a little sister... or a puppy. Was he really not going to see that smiling face anymore?

Then he looked over to Lyon, whose rage had quickly dissipated and replaced by grief. The younger man shook his head, scowled, and opened his mouth to speak. No words came out. He tried again. Coralie and Lyon were a good match. They brought the best out of each other. And Jura had never seen his comrade get _this_ flustered about a girl. Of course this would hit him one hundred times harder than it would hit Jura.

"What does he mean that she's dead?! Jura, a while ago, you told me that Cora-chan was alright!" Sherry shrieked, reminding Jura that he had been talking to her a few moments ago. She looked infuriated, but she didn't bother to hide the tears in her eyes. "Are you absolutely sure that he's talking about _our_ Coralie Stark?"

"Oh... Oh, _Coralie_? That's her first name? I thought you were saying her full name... She's fine. I thought you were looking for _Kara Lee_." The healer tucked his clipboard underneath his arm and flashed them all a sheepish grin. He readjusted his glasses again and hoped that the strong-looking mages in front of him wouldn't put him through any sort of excruciating pain. "A-ah, she's awake now. Why d-don't I take you two _lovely_ men to her? You could even bring that Lacrima crystal with you! Anything! Just please don't murder me..."

The older mage simply nodded at Lyon, silently telling him to go see her himself. Lyon needed the time with her. And who knew if they would start arguing with each other? Jura definitely didn't want to get caught up in that.

"My condolences to _Kara Lee_," Lyon hissed as he closely walked behind the nervous healer.

_If scary mages like him come visit the hospital more often, I need to make sure that I don't make anymore stupid mistakes... _The short, young man gulped and pushed his glasses up for the third time. _I really need to be careful. This guy's so close to killing me right now. I can _feel _it!_

The healer quietly pushed the patient's door open, in case she had gone back to sleep, and gestured Lyon to step inside. He ran off right after.

Lyon kept his eyes on her, watching as the pencil in her hand expertly glided along a piece of paper. Her hair was falling onto her face as she focused on her drawing, but she didn't seem to mind. He just wanted to go up to her and tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear. She just looked so... so _pretty_. Even when he was mad at her, he was still easily captivated by her beauty.

He almost laughed when he saw about ten glasses of water on the bedside table.

Then he noticed the bandages on her arms, her neck, her face... Even though she had a blanket over her legs, he could see that one leg was in a cast. And those were just the visible injuries. What wounds hid underneath those robes? Just looking at her injuries caused fury- and relief because at least she was _alive- _to immediately flood his body. He crossed his arms against his chest and closed the door behind him with his foot.

The young woman's head snapped up at the noise and her eyes widened in horror when she realized that Lyon was standing there, obviously pissed off. She let out a shriek and pulled the blanket up so that only the top half of her face was visible. She had been too engrossed by her sketch that she didn't notice his alluring scent fill the room.

"You... figured it out, huh?" she muttered, dropping the blanket and averting her gaze. "Looks like I didn't think this through."

"I don't think you were thinking at all!"

"You know what? I'm not even sorry." The words shocked Lyon. He had expected her to be angry with him for barging in and yelling at her when she barely woke up. But her voice was calm and even. It didn't raise or falter. For some reason, this angered him even more.

"You're not _sorry_?!" he spat, narrowing his eyes at her. Then he turned away and ran a hand through his spiky hair. "You _should _be sorry! You made everyone worry! Jura, Sherry, everyone!"

"What about you? You didn't mention yourself."

"I was more than worried. I was devasted!"

"Well, if I was sorry, then I would have to take back everything that happened in the library before I left." Lyon looked her in the eye and saw that she was serious. Then she just nonchalantly placed her hands behind her head and leaned back against the elevated part of the cot. "And I don't want to take that back because I meant every word I said." She let out a sigh and rolled her eyes. "So, I'm sorry that I'm not sorry."

He stomped over to her cot and instead of yelling some more, like Coralie expected him to, he leaned over and placed a chaste kiss upon her lips. She was surprised, but the look on Lyon's tired face told her that he had waited a long time just to do that. He had forgiven her. She scooted over on the cot and patted the spot beside her with a bandaged hand. Without a second thought, he kicked off his shoes and laid beside her. He wrapped his arms around her small frame and held her close.

"Ouch, Lyon! You're _hurting _me!"

"Maybe you'll be able to feel half the amount of pain I went through this past week," he murmured and laughed at her, but loosened his grip on her anyways. He hesitated before saying his next words. Without a doubt, what he was going to insist was going to spark another argument. "I don't want you to go out on anymore S-class missions until you become an S-class mage yourself."

"Okay."

"And before you start kicking and screaming and saying 'Lyon, we just got together and you're already being too controlling,' I just wanted to― Wait, what?" He was dumbfounded. He really didn't expect that.

"I said okay." Coralie repeated, scoffing and rolling her eyes at him. Then she _tried _to roll over on her side and wrapped her arms around him. Her voice was small when she spoke. "I don't want to hurt you again... And I don't want to lose you."

"You love me. And I love you. You're never going to be able to get rid of me now."

* * *

**How'd you guys like it? Feel free to tell me how you feel! And stay tuned.~**


	9. Nine

**Hi, guys! Here's another chapter of Jailbird! I hope you guys enjoy! And to be honest, I kind of had trouble with this chapter... But hopefully it's good enough for you lovelies!**

**Disclaimer: Nah, I still don't own Fairy Tail. I just own my OC's.**

* * *

Jailbird

"Hey, are you alright in there?" Lyon asked as he rapped his knuckles against the wooden bathroom door. He heard a tiny yelp of surprise, a soft thud, and an agitated groan. He shook his head and knocked again. He was worried about her. "You've been in there for a while now. I don't even hear the water running anymore."

"I'm fine, I'm fine. It just takes a while to get ready..." Coralie answered, sounding annoyed and grumpy. "You should just head to the guild without me. Who knows how long this'll take."

"What? And leave a pretty― incapacitated― young woman to fend for herself in the streets of Camellia?" He scoffed and placed his hand on the doorknob, ice forming in the keyhole and molding itself to fit the lock. He turned the key of ice and heard a light _click_. He took a deep breath before saying, "Are you dressed?" And without waiting for a response, he twisted the knob and opened the door. He looked to his side in case she wasn't fully dressed yet. "I'm coming in."

The first thing he saw when he stepped inside of the bathroom were Coralie's midnight blue eyes, vibrant and full of irritation. He couldn't help but scan her over. His eyes traveled from her lips to her neck to the loose, light pink shirt that revealed her stomach. Then they made their way to her hips and her toned legs and then―

Shorts. She was wearing shorts.

_Bad Lyon_, he scolded himself mentally, but he still couldn't stop his eyes from roaming her body. _You know she's beautiful, but you gotta stop staring. Bad Lyon._

"Hey!" she yelled and when Lyon looked up, he saw her glaring at him through the mirror. "Eyes where I can see them, sir!" He simply smirked at her and shrugged nonchalantly. She puffed up her cheeks in anger and ran a hand through her long hair. That was when Lyon noticed how Coralie slightly resembled a mummy. Her entire left arm had been engulfed by bandages, her right leg was in a bulky cast, and she was currently struggling with wrapping up her stomach. "Since you're here, can you help me out? My arms still hurt a little bit and I can't get these bandages tight enough."

"Anything for you, m'lady."

Coralie's body stiffened when Lyon placed himself behind her, the proximity of their bodies giving her butterflies. They were both fully clothed, but he was so close to her that she was able to feel warmth radiating from him. He reached out, grabbed the roll of bandages that she was holding onto, and let his hand linger for a long and unnecessary moment. Her breath hitched and her heart raced. The room was silent, but the young woman was able to hear her heart thumping loudly in her ears like a drum.

Lyon was enjoying himself as he bandaged her up, his hands hasty yet gentle. He loved how he sent chills up and down her spine with the simplest of touches. His fingertips occasionally grazed her midriff, causing her muscles to tense. He couldn't help but grin. He loved knowing that he could always get some sort of reaction out of her.

"Stop it," she said sternly, but the tinge of pink on her cheeks made it hard for her to look serious.

"Something tells me that you don't mean that," he whispered, his warm breath tickling her ear. She bit her lip and looked anywhere but the mirror in front of her. She refused to see her blushing face. She refused to see Lyon's cocky smirk. "You like it."

"No, absolutely not." Lies.

The snowy haired mage just chuckled before continuing to tend to Coralie's wounds. That was when he spotted it. On the right side of Coralie's stomach, just above her hip bone, was a bright, red blotch that slightly resembled a rose. He stared at it for a few seconds before finally covering it up with the bandages. Was it a result of her little skirmish with that infamous mage? Or had it always been there? He had never seen the mark on Coralie before, probably because he never really _looked _at her stomach, but he felt like he had seen it somewhere else.

Then a memory flashed before his eyes.

_"Oh, my baby! Where's my baby?" a black haired woman wailed as her husband held her close. The village was in ruins and people everywhere were panicking. A nine-year old Lyon was walking next to his mentor with his hands casually clasped behind his head. His big eyes took in all of the damage, all of the distress. "Ma'am? Ma'am! Can you find our daughter?"_

_"We'll see what we can do," Ur answered with a small smile while patting Lyon's head. She couldn't make any promises. "Come on, Lyon."_

_"Wait!" the other woman called out. She managed to find a red marker in the rubble and she pulled out a piece of paper from her coat pocket before quickly sketching something. Then she shoved it into Ur's hands. "My daughter just turned five. She has a birthmark that looks _exactly_ like this on her belly."_

_Ur nodded and little Lyon smacked a tiny fist into the palm of his hand with determination glowing brightly in his eyes. "Alright! Let's get down to business!"_

_"Lyon! Put your clothes back on!"_

_"What? Oh. Sorry, Ur!"_

_Teacher and student roamed around the destroyed village in the Land of Isvan, searching for any survivors. They found a boy who was orphaned from Deliora's attack. He was a year younger than Lyon. He was the only survivor that they managed to find. The missing little girl was nowhere to be found. Not even among the dead._

_The boy with big, black eyes felt Ur's pain and disappointment when she apologized for not being able to help. The couple broke down and began to sob uncontrollably. They had just lost their baby girl._

_Lyon bit his lip and stared at the drawing the woman had given them. A red birthmark... that was shaped like a flower? If Ur wasn't able to find that little girl, then maybe _he_ could one day. And when he did, he would be getting closer to surpassing his teacher. _

Lyon was pulled back to the present. Was _Coralie _the missing little girl? Was it fate? Or was it all merely a coincidence?

Then another memory forced its way out, bubbling to the surface.

_It had been a few weeks since he had joined Lamia Scale. He was comfortably sitting in the guild hall, reading a newspaper with his feet propped up on a wooden table. He wasn't particularly interested in any of the paper's __contents until he saw a picture of a familiar couple. They looked older and were starting to get their first set of wrinkles, but they were definitely the couple he had met in Isvan ten years ago. He stared at the picture for a few moments before wondering about their missing daughter. Did they ever find her?_

_The headline of the article answered his question: _From Rags to Riches― Hopeful Parents Worked Their Way Up In Case Missing Daughter Finds Her Way Home.

_They haven't found their daughter yet. But that girl's parents saved up their money and worked themselves to their limit, __eventually becoming Isvan's resident millionaires._ They bought a large estate so that she would have a nice place to come home to when she managed to find them. It had been ten years since the Deliora incident and the middle-aged couple still believed that their little girl was alive, that she was still going to come home to them.

_But was she really?_

He silently shook his head and encircled his arms around Coralie's waist, resting his forehead against her shoulder. How could he have forgotten something like that? Especially since it was once his goal to reunite her with her parents? He suddenly felt weak, a feeling that he hadn't felt in so long.

"Are you alright, Lyon?" Coralie asked quietly, reaching up to tenderly run her fingers through his soft, spiky hair. He simply nodded and tightened his grip on her. She bit her lip and grimaced, but didn't say a word. Something told her that he needed comfort. "You just spaced out all of a sudden. Are you sure?"

He didn't answer her. All he could think about was how different Coralie's life would have been if she had been found fifteen years ago. She would have grown up with loving and hardworking parents who would try to make everything possible for her. She would have lived in a luxurious villa. She would have access to anything and everything she wanted.

She never would have been traumatized. She never would have to wake up in the middle of the night, screaming and crying. She never would have been touched by filthy hands. She never would have been broken. She never would have been Cygnus' slave.

He never would have met her. They never would have fallen in love.

But she would have been happy.

"I'm sorry, Coralie."

She twisted around in his arms so that she could face him, but he avoided her curious midnight gaze. She narrowed her eyes and furrowed her brows, starting to feel suspicious. "Sorry for what? Is there something you need to tell me?"

_This wasn't the life that you were supposed to live._

* * *

**I'm so sorry! I didn't know how to end this! So what do you guys think will happen next? Hm? Hmmmmmm? Haha. Feel free to tell me what you think! Stay tuned for more Jailbird!~**


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